Gas boiler not igniting

bofarr01

Hi,
Our gas central heating boiler recently stopped igniting - it sparks but doesn't ignite. I rang Bord Gais and was told to try pressing the reset button - when I informed him that there was no such button, I was told by the dolt that "every boiler in the last 20 years has one", however I can find no sign of one on or inside my bolier.

Anyone got any suggestions that will save me having to call out a service engineer? I'm reluctant to mess around with it too much without a fair idea of what I'm doing.

thanks,
BOF

beolight

what make is it?

volkera is known to have this problem may need new ignition module fitted or simply take out existing one leave it on stainless steel sink and somehow or another it works when put back in

reset button may involve removing knob and pressing red piece under it

stag39

mine too....not igniting... its a glowworm ultimate....red reset/thermal trip button is pushed in!!??

garyh3

Just change the Ignition PCB.

bofarr01

Extra info to my original post: like stag39, my boiler is a Glowworm Ultimate, model 50FF. I've looked on the Glowworm UK site for the manual but no luck.

Garyh3: what does change the ignition PCB mean??

garyh3

The ignition PCB is the Ignition Printed circuit Board.... the ignition brain. We have a Volkera and would not spark as it was new the Volkera engineer came out and said that 90% of the time he just changes the Ignition Printed circuit board. On our Volkera is about the size of a match box.

Changed it and the problem was gone. Took about 5 mins for him.

bofarr01

OK, I found the manual at http://www.glow-worm.co.uk/epower/gw/manuals/pdf/ultimate-50-FF.pdf so I know where the reset button is. Presumably I press that while trying to ignite as normal?? I'll try this tonight.

garyh3

I also did that as the manual suggests but on the Volkera it just on the Knob on the front. The knob says re-set then on. I did that and it worked for a couple of times then it went back to diplaying 01 error on the screen....

Garyh3

pipers

It always amazes me why people contact the gas company when gas appliances give trouble, do people contact Esso or Statoil when oil fired boilers break down?

I am not a fan of gloworm boilers and i do suspect the PCB is faulty. If you can afford it, replace the boiler with a Pottorton Suprima.

My last contact with a glowworm boiler is as follows.

Its about 18 months old, and PCB is faulty. I suggested to the homeowner that it may be more economical to replace rather than repair. Homeowner insists on a repair (replace PCB). 18 months later same fault, replace PCB.
4 months later the Fan seizes, at that stage the homeowner replaces the boiler.

beolight

sorry for tardiness in replying

my experience relates directly to volkera but i suspect the glo worm is the same

gary the reset button on the volkera wont solve the problem you need to remove the white cover on the other knob and press the red button in to manually ignite your boiler, i have permanently removed it at this stage

if this doesnt get you up and running, remove ignition pcb board you can locate it in manual leave it on metal counter for a few minutes and then replace it, this will hopefully recharge the board (dont ask me how)

i have done this countless times now

if all else fails contact volkera directly and get them to send a replacement pcb board, try warrranty claim first tell them boiler less than a year old

keep us posted on how you get on

garyh3

like I said it was a new boiler so the Ingnition PCB was changed and have had no problems since.

Garyh3

stag39

for future clean the sparking electrodes....this worked for me...no problemns since...

stag

kiss103

pipers wrote:

It always amazes me why people contact the gas company when gas appliances give trouble, do people contact Esso or Statoil when oil fired boilers break down?

I work for one of the other majors and the answer is yes, they normally are helped through there problems also , even though the guy that handles these calls has a real job to do also!

Bebop

kiss103 wrote: »

pipers wrote:

It always amazes me why people contact the gas company when gas appliances give trouble, do people contact Esso or Statoil when oil fired boilers break down?

Most of the service people in the golden pages seem to be cowboys who are not interested in a small job; in the UK you ring your local Gas board; why not in Ireland?

murser

HI would you know where I would get a PCB for a Lamborghini gas boiler. I have tried Dublin Providers and Heat Merchants and neither have any in stock. Need it in a hurry!!